The Hanging Tree
by Vaelaa
Summary: 'Whether we want or not, we are waiting for death.' Arthur was informed that under one village in Camelot there is a Tree, which is affecting knights of Camelot. Is driving them mad and leads them to suicide. He had to check that, but he can't take any knight with him, because it is dangerous, so he is going only with Merlin and Gwen.


\- Another one?! - Arthur exclaimed. Another suicide? In the same place? That couldn't be coincidence. Arthur looked at Sir Leon, who gave him this raport. First Knight looked troubled, but he decided to say that what he heard.

\- I... was talking with villagers from the close village. They said that this is curse of this tree. - Leon forced out and looked at looked at Arthur, who murmured something under his nose. He didn't believe in this, this probably was some old wives tales, but something was leading his knights to solve things in this way, but Leon... looked convinced. Arthur raised his brow and waited for more.

\- I didn't believe in that... but... I felt this. It was... subtle, but something was pulling me to that tree. I managed to return to the Camelot, before.. - He couldn't finish the sentence. He was shocked, he didn't think about himself as weak, as person who was able to do such a thing, but there was something in that place. Sir Leon shook his head and look at his King. Arthur noticed behavior of his knight and gulped, he looked at Gaius.

\- Did you hear about something like that?

\- It is hard to say, sire. I must know more about this tree and its story. - Gaius answered and looked at Arthur.

\- They didn't say nothing more. - Leon answered at unasked question, but he knew that somebody would ask about it. Arthur glanced at his knight and sighed, wondering what he should do.

\- Gaius, examine Sir Leon... you will be under guard tonight. Merlin, we are going there at dawn, be ready. - He said to Gaius, Leon and Merlin and then he left the room and the council meeting was ended. He couldn't risk taking any of his knights. He wondered if this could affect him too, he was knight once, now he is King. Would it be diffrence? He didn't care about himself, he couldn't put his man at risk. He didn't sleep well that night. Merlin woke up him before dawn, his manservant was not sure if Arthur should go there. Well, Arthur wasn't sure too, but he didn't say that. He told Merlin only not to be such a girl. When they went to the yard, he noticed Guinevere. He looked at her with unsure.

\- Guinevere, what are you doing here? - He asked with smile, hoping that he is wrong and she don't want go with him.

\- I'm going with you and Merlin. - She answered simply.

\- Guinevere... - he started, but Gwen interupted.

\- Don't say anything. I'm not a knight, I'm safe, but probably you are not. - She said and looked at him worried. Arthur sighed, she was worried about him. It was strange feeling, that someone is waiting for his safe return. It was good feeling and bad in the same time. He was glad, knowing that there is somebody that he can come back to, but he hates to see her beautiful face worried.

\- You should stay in Camelot. - Arthur answered.

\- Yeah, I should do many things. - She shrugged. Arthur sighed, knowing that there is no force in the world which could make her stay in Camelot. He knew her too well. To his suprise, Merlin came with three horses, so he knew about it. It was obvious, they were the best friends, of course he told her. They sat at the horses and they moved to the village, where they planned to start searching. Arthur wondered if it wasn't simpler to burn that tree to the ground, but if it was magic it would be more complicated probably. He didn't have much knowledge about magic, but he knew something. They came to the village by the noon. Arthur went to talk with village leader, but he didn't say nothing about it, only that what Leon said, that this tree is cursed, but he added the fact that they tried to burn this tree and fire didn't damage the tree. Gwen and Merlin were talking with people, but they all were as in collusion. They saw their looks, Merlin and Gwen felt that they were unwelcome here, they asked too much questions.

\- Did you learn something new? - Arthur asked, when they met in the centre of the village.

\- No much. Everybody is silent about it... - Gwen answered and looked at Arthur. -... and you? - she asked.

\- Not much. Only that they tried burn that tree, but for nothing. - Arthur sighed. Then they notice, that someone was looking at them, some girl, but before they could do something about it, she ran away. Something was wrong with this village, but they didn't know what. Arthur decided to check that tree, despite the fact that Gwen and Merlin were opposite to that idea. Great, old, large tree, when they came closer and few crows flew away. Merlin felt powerful blow of magic from this tree, he had again this 'funny feeling' that they should turn back and go away. Something was pulling him to the tree. Gwen was looking at Arthur, worried about him so nobody noticed that Merlin came closer to the tree.

\- Are you, are you, coming to the tree? - Merlin heard voice of young girl in his head, he shook his head and touched tree with his hand. He felt like he released magic inside that tree, but not only magic... emotions. Fear, self-deprecation, disgust, despair...

\- _MER_ LIN! - Arthur exclaimed, trying to pull him away from the tree, when he realised that something was wrong with his friend. He didn't suspect that, Merlin was not a knight. But then, they saw young girl, the same girl that they saw in the village.

\- Who are you? - Gwen asked.

\- I'm monster. - She whispered, Arthur and Gwen noticed that she was holding rope in her hand. - Today, everything will end under that tree. - she said. Maybe it was not only affecting the knights?

\- You are not the monster. - Gwen answered with little smile. - You are young, beautiful girl. - She said with smile.

\- No... I'm monster. They will sell me. My death will be their entertainment. I will die, but in my own way. - She answered and came closer to the tree. Merlin realised what happened. He shook his head and slipped out of shocked Arthur.

\- You are not the Monster, Yvi. - Merlin answered, feeling somekind of conection to the girl. Gwen and Arthur stepped back in shock, when Merlin called her my her name. Yvi looked at him.

\- I'm. I'm alone. I'm monster. They will sell me to the Uther. - Yvette answered and looked at Merlin, she was crying. She didn't want to die, but if she had to die, she will die in her own way. Arthur and Gwen didn't know what happened, Uther was dead, why did this girl was scared of Uther?

\- You are not alone Yvette. I'm like you. - Merlin answered without thinking, he was too overloaded with emotions of this girl. She looked at him with tears in her eyes, but she smiled. - I was born with this too... I used to think that I'm monster too. - Merlin answered with sad smile on his face.

\- You can't run away from them. They will find you. They believe that we are monsters. - The girl answered.

\- I know. I know how it feels, to be scared of what you are. - Merlin nodded.

\- Have you already felt that you still have the choice? - Yvette asked. - Have you given up or not?

\- I haven't given up. I still believe that maybe one day I will feel safe. - Merlin answered, Yvette sobbed again. Arthur looked at Merlin amazed, what he was talking about? The girl, Yvette suggested that she had magic, but Merlin... Merlin couldn't have magic, right?

\- I will die anyway. My father already send bird to Camelot. They are coming. Knights of Camelot are coming. For me. For us. For everybody. - She answered and looked at the rope in her hand.

\- Whether we want or not, we are waiting for death. - Merlin answered, understading what girl had on mind. He felt her emotions. Her fear, her despair and sorrow. He looked at her with smile. - This time... you are not alone. You never was. Your magic is always with you. Every magic creature felt when you passed. - Merlin answered with little smile. Passed? This girl was already dead? Arthur thought. He wanted to pull away Merlin from her, but he couldn't move, like Gwen.

\- Really? - She asked with smile.

\- When witch or warlock dies, his or her magic return to earth. They can feel that. - Merlin said with the smile.

\- I really don't wanna be alone. - She sobbed, but in the same time, she used her magic to tie a rope on a tree.

\- You are not. - Merlin whispered and he used his magic to create the rope and tied it next to her rope. Yvette smiled and looked at Merlin with smile. Arthur shouted his name, trying to wake him up from this spell. He had to be under spell, right? He wouldn't want to kill himself. Arthur didn't even care that he saw that Merlin was using magic on his eyes. He wanted to kill himself, that was more important now. Gwen started to cry, that was too much to her.

\- Will you also decide that you can no longer stand? - Yvette asked.

\- We had to run from this. - Merlin answred and went to the rope.

\- Wear this necklace, like snake it will envelop you tenderly. - Yvette answered with smile and they stand on the bench, which was standing under the tree. Merlin hold Yvette hand, she put her head in the loop.

\- Thank you... I'm not in fear anymore. - She whispered and she hanged herself. Then, Merlin took deep breath. He had tears in his eyes. He felt so many emotions at once. Yvette didn't want to kill anybody. She wanted somebody to understand her, be with her. She was so scared, she was so young, she didn't want to die because of this what she is, but she didn't have a choose. It was this, or Pyre on the Camelot's courtyard. Now her spirit was free, she could move on. Merlin knelt and looked at Arthur and Gwen with the same fear that Yvette had in her eyes.

 _Whether we want or not, we are waiting for death._

 **One-shot inspired by Polish version of "The Hanging Tree" - Sylwia Banasik - Pod drzewem.**  
 **It was translated with changes from the original (to melody probably) and It sound much much darker in my opinion.**


End file.
